The present invention relates to a communication apparatus and a method thereof and particularly to a communication apparatus and a method thereof in which sound volume, sound quality, image quality, and the like are adjusted in correspondence with an eye direction and a face direction of a user.
In a conventional remote conference system, images and sounds are mutually communicated between a plurality of conference rooms through a network, and images and sounds in the conference rooms are reproduced in the other conference rooms, so that a conference can be held as if attendants sat around one table.
Also, in a conventional remote conference system, attendants in conference rooms are able to speak simultaneously. Hence, when a plurality of attendants speak simultaneously, a conventional remote conference system causes a problem that a speech which is desired to hear is disturbed by other speeches and is difficult to hear.
Also, in a conventional remote conference system, all images of respective conference rooms are arranged to have equal brightness and quality. Consequently, it is not possible, for example, to watch an image of a desired conference room brightened more or in more details.
The present invention has been made on the basis of the situation described above and has an object of providing a communication apparatus and a method thereof by which, for example, a desired speech can be heard easily and an image of a desired conference room can be watched also easily.
A communication apparatus according to the present invention is used in a communication system in which communication is made between three or more communication apparatuses, and is characterized by comprising: a direction detector section for detecting a direction in which a user faces among a plurality of directions, where the directions respectively correspond to other ones of the communication apparatuses; an attention level detector section for detecting attention levels at which the user faces in the plurality of directions, respectively, based on a detection result from the direction detector section; a receiver section for receiving information from the other ones of the communication apparatuses; and an adjusting section for adjusting information from the other ones of the communication apparatuses in correspondence with the attention levels.
Here, when the direction detector section keeps detecting one same direction for a first time period or longer, the attention level detector section detects the attention level from the user as being high, with respect to the one same direction detected by the direction detector section.
Also, based on detection of another one of the directions after the direction detector section keeps detecting the one same direction for the first time period or longer, the attention level detector section lowers the attention level.
Also, if a second time period passes from a timing at which the direction detector section detects the another direction, the attention level detector section lowers the attention level.
Also, the attention level detector section gradually lowers the attention level in response to a timing at which the direction detector section detects the another direction.
Also, the attention level detector section lowers the attention level gradually when a second time period passes from the timing when the direction detector section detects the another direction.
Also, the attention level detector section detects the attention level for each of the directions.
Further, the adjusting section adjusts the information, based on the attention levels for the directions, respectively.
Also, the direction detector section detects an eye direction of the user.
Also, the direction detector section detects a face direction of the user.
The adjusting section adjusts information corresponding to the direction in which the attention level is high, such that the information is emphasized relative to other information.
The communication apparatus according to the present invention further comprises a presentation section for presenting the information adjusted by the adjusting section to a user.
Here, the information is sound information and the adjusting section adjusts sound information presented by the presentation section.
The adjusting section adjusts sound volume of the sound information presented by the presentation section.
Also, the adjusting section adjusts sound quality of the sound information presented by the presentation section.
Also, the information is image information and the adjusting section adjusts the image information presented by the presentation section.
The adjusting section adjusts image quality presented by the presentation section.
The presentation section includes a plurality of presentation sections respectively corresponding to the plurality of directions.
The communication apparatus according to the present invention further comprises an obtaining section for obtain formation of the user, and a transmitter section for transmitting the information of the user obtained by the obtaining section to the other communication apparatuses.
Next, a communication method according to the present invention is used for a communication system in which communication is made between three or more communication apparatuses, and is characterized by comprising: a direction detecting step of detecting a direction in which a user faces among a plurality of directions in a state where the plurality of directions respectively correspond to other ones of the communication apparatuses; an attention level detecting step of detecting attention levels at which the user faces in the plurality of directions, respectively, based on a detection result in the direction detecting step; and an adjusting step of adjusting information received from the other ones of the communication apparatuses in correspondence with the attention levels.
Here, in the attention level detecting step, when one same direction is kept detected for a first time period or longer, the attention level from the user is detected as being high, with respect to the detected one same direction.
Also, in the attention level detecting step, based on detection of another one of the directions after the one same direction is kept detected for the first time period or longer, the attention level is lowered.
Also, in the attention level detecting step, if a second time period passes from a timing at which the another direction is detected, the attention level is lowered.
Also, in the direction detecting step, the attention level is gradually lowered in response to a timing at which the another direction is detected.
Also, in the attention level detecting step, the attention level is gradually lowered if a second time period passes from the timing when the another direction is detected in the direction detecting step.
Also, in the attention level detecting step, the attention level is detected for each of the directions.
Further, in the adjusting step, the information is adjusted, based on the attention levels for the directions, respectively.
Also, in the direction detecting step, an eye of the user is detected.
Also, in the direction detecting step, a face direction of the user is detected.
In the adjusting step, information corresponding to the direction in which the attention level is high is adjusted to be emphasized relative to other information.
The communication method according to the present invention further comprises a presentation step of presenting the information adjusted in the adjusting step to a user.
Also, in the adjusting step, sound information presented in the presentation step is adjusted.
Also, in the adjusting step, sound volume of sound information presented in the presentation step is adjusted.
Also, in the adjusting step, sound quality of sound information presented in the presentation step is adjusted.
Here, the information is image information, and in the adjusting step, image information presented in the presentation step is adjusted.
In the adjusting step, image quality of the image information presented in the presentation step is adjusted.
Also, the presentation step includes a step of performing a plurality of presentations respectively corresponding to the plurality of directions.
The communication method according to the present invention further comprises an obtaining step of obtaining formation of the user, and a transmitting step of transmitting the information of the user obtained in the obtaining step to the other communication apparatuses.